Lang Smokers vs. other Top of The Line Smokers

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Smoke Blower

117

11

Joined Sep 25, 2013

Hi everyone, my name is Harv Whitney and I really enjoyed all the posts and comments that all of you have made concerning Lang Smokers. I currently have a Meadowcreek offset stick burner and I have enjoyed a lot of what I have smoked but there are a lot of hot spots to be careful of. That said, I am looking at wanting to take a step up and get a new better quality smoker that is also a little larger than my 36. I have been trying to do mu due diligence here in looking at different smokers and I watched this years Kingsford Pittmasters competition on TV and paid a lot of attention to who was cooking with what. Out of the three finalists for the $50K year end competition prize I noticed that Leanne Oxley from Sugars BBQ is an avid Land smoker user. She won the Baby Back Ribs portion of the contest and the winner of this years Kingsford Pittmaster Competition won with a Lang Smoker.

Now, having said all of that I have had a several people tell me about how good the Cadillac Rotisserie wood smoker is and I looked at and read all of the 82 testimonials on their website and they were outstanding. Several Cadillac owners have restaurants and one is in Blairsville, GA called Jim's Smokin Que. Several owners remarked about two things of importance to me........easy to keep the temperature right on the nose and secondly they don't have to use near the amount of wood that they used on other smokers and saved money. The quality of the product build was also raved about. The bottom line is that I was quite impressed to say the least.

Now my question to the group is, does anyone have any experience with or know someone that has a Cadillac smoker and either likes or dislikes it and why. The Cadillac Rotisserie Smoker is heavy in weight like a Lang but is also more expensive. Price certainly comes into play here but I am willing to spend a bit more for a smoker that is easy to use, keeps the temps without adding a lot of wood to cook low and slow and Kick's Butt.

I would greatly appreciate anybody's comments, thoughts, suggestions very much.

Fire Starter

52

11

Joined Nov 9, 2013

Do you currently have a meadow creek SQ 36? Im trying to decide between buying a SQ 36 or an American bbq Systems - all star. Any recommedations from users of either of these. Strickly for backyard use. mike

Smoke Blower

I currently have a Meadow Creek SQ36 with a second tear rack and cover which I am going to be selling later this month.

The smoker has been OK.......but had I looked at or more importantly spoken to someone who had a Lang smoker I would have bought the Lang hands down.

I recently had the opportunity to work with a BBQ Team at a local Church that has a Lang 108 (Big Guy Don'ta Ya Know) and we smoked more than 85 butts last weekend for three events and I was absolutely blown away with the ease of use with the smoker, the consistent temperatures from one end to the other and didn't have to cut down two trees work of wood.

The BBQ Team Lead has a Lang 60 which was used as well for a second function and we loaded that up with butts as well.

Now, having said all of that, I have spent the last three months doing my due diligence on a an upgrade smoker to the Meadow Creek and I am going to purchase their 48 Patio Model.

I spent a great deal of time this year watching the Kingsford BBQ Pit masters program on the TV weekly and paid particular attention to who was cooking on what kind of smoker. In the final episode when it was down to three people for the $50K prize two of the three cooked on a Lang Smoker and the individual who finally one the $50K Smoked on a Lang.

Now I know that I am rambling on and I apologize to you. If you price out the Meadow Creek SQ36 with the second tier rack which you would want and a cover you are looking at around $1200.00+.

I would highly recommend to you to go to the Lang Smoker web site, spend sometime watching the free videos and they have the Kingsford BBQ Pitt Masters episodes on their site that you can see. Watch Ben Lang show you how to start a fire and season & clean your smoker as well.

If you haven't already looked at Lang I would highly recommend that you do and they have a nice looking 36 Patio model that is just a little smaller than the 48 that I am going to order. Please note that the Lang Smoker is the "True Reverse Flow Smoker" and the only one on the market. I found out through a lot of digging that folks from Meadow Creek came down to Georgia, bought a Lang and tried to copy Ben Lang's reverse flow smoker design but I can personally tell you that their smoker does NOT smoke like a Lang. The butts we cooked for 12 hours and the pulled pork was moist and out of this world. Now the Lang 36 patio model costs $1095.00. Please go on the Lang Forum here and read some of the many comments from Lang owners.

I have looked at the American BBQ Systems Smokers and read all their client reviews which were very complementary. I think that they have a good smoker but I have never personally seen or used one.

Ok, I am at the end and NO I am not a Lang salesman but if I were I would sell a ton of them.

Fire Starter

52

11

Joined Nov 9, 2013

Wow.......Thanks for the response. The lang does look impressive! It looks like he uses wood splits for the fire. I generally use lump charcoal for heat with some apple wood chunks added for some smoke. Do you know if the lang 36 would heat up enough using lump charcoal or is lump charcoal not a practical or efficient heat source for a lang? I appreciate your comments about the SQ 36. I was just about to order one but now Im re thinking.

Legendary Pitmaster

Fire Starter

52

11

Joined Nov 9, 2013

Is your SQ 36 a good smoker? What did you like and not like about it. What does a Lang do better to the point you want to sell your SQ 36 and buy a lang? Im still am interested in the meadow creek and see lots of good comments about the sq 36. Is the SQ 36 smoker box heavy enough steel? Im checking out the lang but it may be to heavy to move around easily. mfalto

Smoke Blower

117

11

Joined Sep 25, 2013

Mfalto,

You can use lump charcoal, briquettes, wood or a combination of your choice. I used to use a combination of charcoal briquettes and wood but I have now gone to straight wood as I find the taste of everything I smoke to be better and the smoker temperature is a bit easier to manage.

Smoke Blower

I would say that the SQ 36 is an OK smoker. At the time I purchased it I didn't really know much about smokers. I bought it on the recommendation of a friend who's husband had bought one.

What I don't like is the inconsistent temperatures in various locations within the smoker that has caused several food items to be over cooked.

Now, some folks might say that you need to be more judicious about where you place what in the smoker and watch it more carefully but I would argue that a really good smoker will maintain better temperatures throughout the smoker.

I am a low and slow guy and I found up to a 25+ degree temperature difference within the SQ36 depending on where I placed butts, briskets, chicken etc.

The Lang in my opinion has a much better build quality and yes it is a bit heavier because they are using heavier quality gauge steel.

Something to consider perhaps is having the from wheels changed out to articulate and be the same size 8" tires that are on the rear of the smoker. That's what I am going to have them do to the 48 Patio as I will need to move around in the grass in the backyard. When I spoke with Ben about it and also putting a pull handle on or below the rack opposite the firebox so that I could easily move left, right turn around tec. he said NO problem.

The firebox of the Lang 36 Patio is also a bit larger that the SQ 36 from Meadow Creek and is thicker quality steel.

Newbie

10

10

Joined Nov 2, 2013

I don't know anything about a Lang, but i have a Cadillac and I can say that I am very satisfied with it. The first cook i did with it was with wood/charcoal only and it was very easy to maintain temp throughout the process. Since then i added the gas system to it and like this also. I have the double racks on mine and it allows me to cook 60 butts at one time which is a load weight wise and it requires you to learn how to load it without getting the racks out of balance. The motor has a switch to keep the motor from overheating should it bind up, but this is not a problem once you realize how the balance works with this cooker. I can now turn mine on and only come back each hour or so to eyeball everything and maybe add a stick or two of wood.I now use my gas system to maintain the temp, not to cook with only. I think that this is the most efficient use of the system. Hope this helps.

Smoke Blower

I have looked at the Cadillac smokers on their web site and their testimonials are awesome.

I spoke with a Cadillac owner Friday who has a restaurant and they are very pleased.

based on the number of butts that you mentioned that you did I am guessing that you own the 48X72 model which is a big guy.

I inquired with Cadillac about the possibilities of making a 36X48 version and they told me that this was no problem and gave me a quote. The 36X60 is just a little too big for me.

To cut to the chase as I would say, I was pretty well sold on the Cadillac until I recently joined a Church BBQ Team and had the opportunity to not only talk extensively with the BBQ Team Leed but found out that he has been cooking BBQ (butts, briskets, whole and split chickens, wings and turkeys ) for crowds as big as 1500 + people for the past 8 years and he personally owns a Lang 60 and loves it.

He convinced the Church to invest in a Lang 108, their biggest model because the Church does a lot of civic and school BBQ's for large crowds numerous times during the year, every year.

Now, I had the pleasure of cooking on the Lang 108 two weeks ago and we did about 115 butts.......low and slow for 12 hours and I was blown away with (a) how easy the Lang was to use, (b) the consistency of the temperature throughout the whole length of the smoker.... 230 degrees, (c) how easy it was to maintain the temperature.....it held it's own 230 degree temp for an hour and a half at least before I had to add additional wood and (d) we didn't need a ton of oak wood to do the job. I was quite candidly "Blown Away".

Now, I haven't cooked on a top quality rotisserie smoker for a comparison so I would in no way offer any type of negative comment.

I can tell you that the Lang like the Cadillac is hand made with thick steel and they share a similar overall smoker weight. The reverse flow smoking technology that Ben Lang developed is pardon me "kick butt".....pun intended and in this years Kingsford BBQ Pittmasters Competition, two of the three finalists going for the $50K prize did so on Lang 60 smokers. The winner won on a Lang 60.

Finally, so that I will shut up and probably the straw that broke the camels back if you will was the price differential between the two.

I could almost purchase (2) Lang Patio 48's with (8) inch wheels front and back....front wheels fully rotational for turning for the price of the 36X45 Cadillac.

Legendary Pitmaster

Meat Mopper

260

21

Joined Apr 9, 2010

I would like to know how much the custom cover costs too...why dont you just post it. If you dont want to post it, a PM would be greatly appreciated. I'm guessing it will be in the $300 range....see how close I am...